


Nostalgia

by goolinus



Category: DRIPPIN (Korea Band), Produce 101 (TV), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Brotherhood, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Realization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:22:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28617255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goolinus/pseuds/goolinus
Summary: An imagination of Junho meeting his fellow x1 members again and the struggles behind.
Relationships: Cha Junho & Everyone
Kudos: 10





	Nostalgia

**Author's Note:**

> This imagination is not real, but I tried to write it referencing what Junho, Yunseong and the others said or did. Hope you like it♡

** 13 Aug 2020, 7pm **

"What if we erased the memories about PRODUCE entirely…"

All the heads in the practice room turned to the brown hair boy as he mumbled out his thought that shocked everyone.

Junho realised his misspoke. He instantly sat up from the bench and apologized. Luckily, their manager wasn't there with them, or it might be really awkward.

As random as things in Junho's head, they all understood it was inspired by the song they just heard about erasing memories. The song that their sunbae was going to release and the trainees were honored to listen to it beforehand. The boy must have been thinking about it while waiting for their dinner arrived.

"I am so sorry Hyeopie hyung. I didn't mean it…" He specifically apologized to the elder as they all knew he wouldn't be here with them without joining that program.

"It's fine. We are just surprised you would think of that." Hyeop sat near him before giving him a pat on the shoulder. The other boys joined them and formed a small circle near the bench, except for their leader Yunseong, who got a call from their manager to pick up the food.

The boys shifted their conversation to their embarrassing memories in the show, instead of the painful and sad side, as the eldest shared some funny episodes he had with Changuk and Dongyun. Yunseong exchanged a nod with Hyeop before leaving the room.

He knew Hyeop would handle the younger members well, like a caring and responsible eldest brother. It was not like they seldom talk about their experiences in PRODUCE either, even for their late joining maknae Alex.

They would probably end the topic when he and their manager returned with the meals, but still, Yunseong thought he should talk with Junho.

** 8:45pm **

After having their dinner, the boys went to have their individual practice and lessons. Yunseong went to the room Junho stayed, giving up his solo dance practice session.

*knock knock*

He opened the door as he met eyes with Junho through the glass door. The boy was smiley as he welcomed his leader into that tiny individual practice room.

"I knew you would come," Junho said teasingly. "Leader hyung~" 

"Shut up and move!" He gesture him to move aside so he could put another chair in.

"So…what brings you here?" Junho asked though they both knew it was about the comment he made earlier in their main practice room.

"I am here to talk." Yunseong put on a straight face, with softness in his eyes. "How are you feeling recently?"

Instead of going straight to the topic, Yunseong wanted to know how was Junho feeling.

Ever since Junho returned to their company in January, Yunseong would talk to him regularly to check on his condition, physically and mentally. Despite the responsibility of a leader, Yunseong was the one who accompanied Junho to the furthest in their PRODUCE journey. They also shared a lot of common friends in the program, that he felt a little left out when most of them debuted together without him.

Junho handled his emotions well, much better than people in his age. It was not that he didn't have emotions, like a robot, nor he tried to hide them. The boy is genuinely mature and thoughtful most of the time.

It still felt like Yesterday when Junho returned with his luggage and necessaries they bought for his dormitory in X1. He is sad, really really sad. That's the only word Yunseong could think of when he wordlessly walked in and hugged him.

"I am back, hyung…"

Junho seldom cries, or he rarely cried for himself. He didn't cry during intense training, when he got scolded by trainers, nor when his rank dropped. The few times he cried during the show was when Changuk and Dongyun were against each other for the final spots, and when Yunseong cannot debut with him in the finals. There is a saying they, his brothers from Woollim, are Junho's cry button.

At that time, feeling Junho's tears dropping on his shoulder, Yunseong wondered if part of the reason behind these tears were the new brothers Junho gained in X1.

There are thousands of reasons for Junho to feel sad, depressed and angry, but the younger managed to be positive in front of these challenges, which everyone admired a lot. It was owing to his honesty with his feelings. Even in the most random timing, he would tell his members what he was feeling and why.

Like opening up about the hate comments he read the night before, then started practicing a choreography with fire in his eyes; or told them about his regrets on stage as they watched their sunbae's performance.

It was not easy to speaking them out, but Junho prefer that rather than keeping everything inside him, in front of his members, especially Yunseong.

"I am fine actually." Junho replied, resting his chin on his palm causally. "Just wondering the pros and cons of keeping these um- experiences? I mean, wouldn't it be much more easy to live without bad memories?"

"Of course, it does." Yunseong chuckled, as he failed to be serious. "But it was part of life. You are not living if you live like that."

"True." Junho agreed.

They went into a long silence after they heaved a sigh together.

"Hyung," Junho broke the silence first. "Do you want to meet Wooseok hyung and Yohan hyung again?"

"Y-yeh, sure. It's been a long time…"

"I mean face-to-face. Would you feel awkward or something?"

"Maybe, but I'm still glad to meet them if I had a chance to." Yunseong started to get what's in Junho's mind. He turned to the younger and waited for him to confess.

"Don't look at me like that." Junho laughed innocently, knowing the wittiness of his leader. "You know, 27th is our anniversary… the hyungs are planning a gathering."

He showed him a group chat with some familiar names, that Yunseong sometimes peeked on through the mirrors in the practice room. He knew the X1 group chat is still active.

Apparently, the gathering is very possibly going to happen, as they already picked the venue that morning.

"You are worried to meet them again?"

"Sort of…" Junho started picking the soft hair on his face, a habit he had everytime he was nervous. "We have been keeping in touch, but I didn't meet them, like…in person."

In the past few months, Junho had a tight schedule as they were preparing for their debut, not to mentioned him being 3rd year in high school. Sometimes, he and Minseo could only slept for an hour in the car after practicing till 5am. It was rough, but Junho believed the others were busy as well.

"Everyone is meeting each other except for me…I mean…I was busy but not THAT busy." He kept mentioning different times he used his schedule as excuses to not accept invitation to dinner or not having video calls. Like that time Eunsang wanted to video call him on his birthday, he lied that he was in the middle of filming, which turning on the camera might spoil the content. To be fair, they did had a filming that day and Alex, the hidden member, was right next to him when Eunsang call, but he could have done it at the corner of the room or in the car.

The babbling didn't seem to have an end.

"Hey, It's alright. I get what you mean." Yunseong stopped the younger helplessly, before he started overtalking in panic.

"Ah…it just became harder to face it, the longer I tried to avoid it."

"Yeh, and for this time," Yunseong pointed at Junho's phone. "you have to go!"

"I agree, but still, I am really nervous."

Before they went into silence and dived into their own thoughts again, Yunseong put his hand on Junho's shoulder.

"There is something I wanted to tell you."

Yunseong, comparing to Junho or other members, wasn't very expressive. For him, not everything has to be expressed through words, but this one thing he wanted to convey to Junho vocally.

"When your name got called in the finals, I was so relieved because I know you would be happy if you can debut with your friends in x1." Yunseong stated, looking at Junho who was watching him through the mirror. "I thought, maybe it was fine to let you go for some years, because wuli Junho would be in good hands."

They both knew how much that meant because if Junho stayed in x1 as the contract stated. They would not be able to be with him for the coming years, or worse, they would never be in the same team anymore as they all have their separated career after the 2.5 years mark.

It was never easy to let go a friend like that. The bonding they have between Woollim Boys are solid, even for Minseo who just met them for few months back then. Junho could still remeber how much the said boy cried in his arms the night he became x1. He was happy for him, but at the same time, he was overwhelmed by the thought that they were going to separate, they all did.

"You got some reliable teammates there, and really soon a family. There wasn't anything I needed to worry-"

"Unfortunately, instead of 2.5 years, or 5 years, I came back in 5 months." Junho cut his words, with a shaky voice that wasn't as calm as his expression.

"Yes, you did, but did that change any thing I just said? NO." Yunseong turned the younger to face him. "All the bad things happened, it's not your fault. You got not just one, but two families now, two groups of friends that would have your back..."

"Why are you avoiding them when you have a chance to meet them?"

**27 Aug 2020, 6pm**

When Junho got off his manager's personal car, he started trembling. He couldn't tell if it was because of the coldness in Seoul's nighttime, or his uncontrollable nervousness. Probably the latter one. He went into the alley according to a map Seungyoun drew him, then saw Hyungjun and Minhee standing in front of a cottage that the restaurant located.

Hyeongjun, as the caring friend he always been, decided they should wait for Junho before getting in, so it would be less awkward. (Actually, they were just afraid Junho would run away last minute.)

"Hey Junho!" Minhee wiped his arm on Junho's shoulder casually. It felt like the tall guy grew taller in just few months of time. "Are you still growing?" Junho bursted out his question.

"He did!" Hyeongjun replied with a sign. "I am more worried how much did Dohyon grow~"

"Yeh, he probably reached the ceiling!"

They entered the building then headed to the second floor, following the signage. The restaurant was owned by a friend of Seungyoun. They book the whole place to have a private gathering.

The three were chattering about the last year of high school as they reached the upper floor. Hyeongjun suddenly stopped and grabbed the tips of their shirts.

"Hey, are you going to cry?" His eyes were locked on the back views of the hyungs, who haven't realized their arrival.

"Who knows? Just cry if you want to." Minhee shrugged. "There's no camera here, just us."

Junho didn't say a word when he followed them in.

He knew he was so gonna cry that night.


End file.
